Henry Ford

(Amal Kiran:) “In December of 1952, an American journalist, Harvey Breit, had come to Bombay with a scheme of the Ford Foundation for a special India-Supplement to the Atlantic Monthly. I was introduced to him and he commissioned an article on Sri Aurobindo and his Ashram. I wrote my piece, 2000 words or so. It was approved. I asked hesitatingly whether there would be any payment. “Of course,” was the answer, “we'll write to you from the States.” But even after months there was no word from the Atlantic Monthly. Now the month I had fixed for my return to Pondicherry was approaching. Within a fortnight of D-Day (Divine Day, naturally) I got a letter from America. It said that a cheque was enclosed on the Ford Foundation's account in an Indian bank. I unfolded the cheque. There, unbelievably, was an order for Rs. 500 [exactly what I needed in order to return to Pondicherry]. Not a rupee more, not a rupee less! But the story of the Grace does not end here. A week later I received another letter. It was apologetic, saying that owing to certain unavoidable circumstances the Supplement had to be cut down considerably and that, though my article had been much appreciated, it could not be used. This did not mean the withdrawal of·the payment. The payment would be made and I was even told that the compilers claimed no right to the article: it could be sold by me anywhere else.
         Thus my article went all the way from India to the U.S.A. and came back to me with a gift of the exact amount I had mentioned to the Mother and she had endorsed. Again, to take me to the Ashram of Sri Aurobindo, it had appropriately to be an article on Sri Aurobindo and his Ashram.
         What is of further and final interest is that many years earlier there had been a talk between the Mother and myself about financial aid to the Ashram from America. She had said: “I have a feeling that we may have something to do with Henry Ford.” Years afterwards, Margaret Wilson, the daughter of the one-time President Woodrow Wilson, came to stay in the Ashram and she got in touch with Ford. Ford replied that, as he believed in reincarnation, he would be interested to meet somebody who could throw light on his past births. Miss Wilson spoke with the Mother. The Mother said she could certainly throw some light. It appears that Ford was eager to pay a visit to the Ashram. Unhappily, adverse circumstances delayed his coming. A little later he died. So the only help that has come so far from the side of Ford are those Rs. 500 as a windfall to one to whom the Mother had talked about Ford's possible help.”

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See also

• America